Apparatus, systems and methods for levitating and moving objects

ABSTRACT

Apparatus, systems and methods for levitating and moving objects are shown and described herein. The embodiments incorporate a track with lower rails having permanent magnets abutted against each other and aligned such that the upper surface of each of the lower rails has a uniform polarity; and the object with upper rails having permanent magnets aligned with the lower rails and oriented to oppose the polarity of the lower permanent magnets. Ferrous backing plates behind the lower rails and/or the upper rails may be incorporated. Embodiments may also incorporate a third rail of an electroconductive material, and a driving disc positioned near the third rail. Permanent magnets in the driving disc may be rotated with the driving disc in the presence of the third rail to accelerate the upper rails with respects to the lower rails.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/898,536, filed Jul. 2, 2001, now pending, and ofU.S. Provisional Application No. 60/375,220, filed Apr. 23, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of Invention

[0003] The invention relates to apparatus, systems and methods formoving objects. More particularly, the invention relates to levitating,accelerating and decelerating objects with reduced friction andincreased efficiency.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Magnetically levitated trains, conveyor systems and related meansof transportation have been attempted many times in the past few decadesin an effort to provide more efficient means of transportation forindividuals and cargo. A few examples of such systems can be seen inU.S. Pat. No. 4,356,772 to van der Heide; U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,761 toTotsch; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,029 to Geraghty et al. These systemsoperate on the general property that magnets having like polaritiesrepel each other, and magnets having opposite polarities attract eachother. Notwithstanding the fact that patent applications have been filedfor such systems for decades, a system for moving people and cargo thatis viable under real world conditions has yet to be developed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention is directed towards apparatus, systems andmethods for levitating and accelerating objects. In particular,embodiments of the present invention allow objects to be magneticallylevitated and magnetically accelerated with respect to rails, such astrain tracks.

[0007] In one embodiment, the system incorporates a number of lowerrails spaced laterally apart from each other, and an object having anumber of upper rails aligned with the lower rails. The lower rails havepermanent magnets abutted one against the next and aligned such that theupper surface of the lower rail has a uniform polarity along its length.The lower rail also has a ferrous backing plate that electroconductivelycouples the permanent magnets along the length of the track. The upperrails have a number of permanent magnets aligned to oppose the magnetsin the lower rails to levitate the object. The upper rails also have aferrous backing plate electroconductively coupling the permanentmagnets.

[0008] Another embodiment of the invention comprises a number of firstrails, an object to be transferred, a third rail, and a driving disc.The first rails each have a number of permanent magnets aligned near itsupper surface. The permanent magnets are oriented to create a uniformpolarity along a length of each of the first rails. The object beingtransported has second rails that are configured to align with the firstrails. The second rails have permanent magnets mounted thereon that areoriented to oppose the polarity of the magnets in the first rails.Consequently, the object levitates above the first rails. The third railextends along the length of the first rails. The third rail is made froman electroconductive material, such as copper or aluminum. The disc isconnected to the object being transported, and rotates with respect tothe object. The disc carries a number of permanent magnets. The disc ispositioned such that the permanent magnets are in close proximity to thethird rail during operation. Rotation of the disc, and more importantlythe permanent magnets, in the proximity of the third rail results ineddy currents that accelerate the object along the third rail in adirection opposite the relative rotation of the disc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a track and a cart levitating abovethe track according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0010]FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the cart of FIG. 1.

[0011]FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the cart of FIG. 2 with a platformremoved therefrom.

[0012]FIG. 4 is an end view of a portion of the track and cart of FIG.1.

[0013]FIG. 5 is an end view of the track and cart of FIG. 1.

[0014]FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a drive assembly of the cart ofFIG. 1.

[0015]FIG. 7 is a sectional elevation view of a disc from the driveassembly of FIG. 6 engaged with a third rail of the track of FIG. 1,shown along a diametric section.

[0016]FIG. 8 is a side view of one of the discs of FIG. 7.

[0017]FIG. 9 is an end view of a track and a cart from an alternateembodiment of the present invention.

[0018]FIG. 9A is an enlarged view of a portion of the cart of FIG. 9.

[0019]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the cart of FIG. 9, viewedalong Section 10-10.

[0020]FIG. 11A is a schematic view of the portion of the cart of FIG.10, shown in a disengaged configuration.

[0021]FIG. 11B is the portion of the cart of FIG. 11A, shown in anengaged configuration.

[0022]FIG. 12 is an end view of a portion of the track and cart of FIG.9, illustrating a braking system in a disengaged configuration.

[0023]FIG. 13 is the portion of the track and cart of FIG. 12, shownwith the braking system in an engaged configuration.

[0024]FIG. 14 is a plan view of a magnet assembly from the cart of FIG.9.

[0025]FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the magnet assembly of FIG.14, viewed along Section 15-15.

[0026]FIG. 16 is a plan view schematically illustrating a cart havingmagnets aligned for travel around a corner.

[0027]FIG. 17 is a plan view schematically illustrating a cart havingmagnets aligned for linear travel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] The present detailed description is generally directed towardsystems, apparatus and methods for levitating a cart or other objectabove a track, and for accelerating the object with respect to thetrack. Several embodiments of the present invention may allow anindividual to levitate an object above a track, and to accelerate anddecelerate the object, all without contacting the track. Accordingly,such embodiments can provide highly efficient transportation means forindividuals or cargo. Many specific details of certain embodiments ofthe invention are set forth in the following description and in FIGS.1-17 to provide a thorough understanding of such embodiments. Oneskilled in the art, however, will understand that the present inventionmay have additional embodiments or may be practiced without several ofthe details described in the following description.

[0029]FIG. 1 illustrates a system 10 for levitating and acceleratingobjects. The system 10 incorporates a track 12 and a cart 14 configuredto move longitudinally in either direction with respect to the track.The track 12 incorporates a pair of supporting rails 16 and a drivingrail 18.

[0030] In the illustrated embodiment, the supporting rails 16 and thedriving rail 18 are supported by a number of footings 20 spaced apartfrom each other along a length of track 12. The footings 20 are anchoredto the ground as generally understood in the art. The driving rail 18 inthe illustrated embodiment is mounted directly to the footings 20, suchas by a flange formed at the lower edge of the driving rail. Theillustrated driving rail 18 is centrally located along the length ofeach of the footings 20. Depending on the particular design of the cart14, however, it is envisioned that the driving rail 18 can be positionedat other locations inside, outside, above and below the supporting rails16, as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the relevantart.

[0031] In the illustrated embodiment, the supporting rails 16 arecoupled to the footings 20 by a number of posts 22 and brackets 24, andextend along opposing ends of the footings. As with the driving rail 18,however, different configurations are possible, as one of ordinary skillin the art would appreciate.

[0032] The upper surface of each of the supporting rails 16 carries anumber of permanent magnets 26 extending along an operable portion ofits length. In the illustrated embodiment, the permanent magnets 26 inthe supporting rails 16 are all of a common length. The illustratedpermanent magnets 26 are butted against each other along the length ofthe track 12 to provide a magnetic force that is sufficiently constantto enable the cart 14 to move smoothly along the track. The permanentmagnets 26 are oriented such that every magnet along the respectivesupporting rail 16 has its polarity vertically aligned with the adjacentpermanent magnets. The inventor appreciates that it is not necessarythat every permanent magnet 26 be aligned in order for the invention tooperate. The illustrated embodiment, however, is provided as an exampleof one preferred embodiment.

[0033]FIGS. 2 and 3 best illustrate the cart 14 according to thisparticular embodiment of the present invention. The cart 14 incorporatesa pair of opposing side rails 28 spaced apart to generally align withthe supporting rails 16 on the track 12. In the illustrated embodiment,the side rails are made from a ferrous material such as steel. Othermaterials of like qualities can be substituted for steel.

[0034] Attached to the underside of each of the side rails 28 is anotherset of permanent magnets 30 that align with the permanent magnets 26 onthe supporting rails 16 when the cart 14 is engaged with the track 12.In the illustrated embodiment, the permanent magnets 30 in the siderails 28 are all of a common length. The length of each permanent magnet26 in the supporting rail 16 is different, in this case longer, than thelength of the permanent magnet 30 in the side rail 28. One of ordinaryskill in the art, after reviewing this disclosure, will immediatelyappreciate that the difference in length prevents two adjacent seams inthe support rail permanent magnets 26 from simultaneously aligning withtwo adjacent seams in the side rail permanent magnets 30, thus avoidingmagnetic cogging. The permanent magnets 30 on the cart 14 are orientedwith their polarities opposite to those of the permanent magnets 26 ofthe supporting rails 16. As a result, the cart 14 levitates above thetrack 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the permanent magnet 30attached to the side rails 28 are abutted one against the next. Theinventor appreciates, however, that these permanent magnets need not bein contact with each other for the cart 14 to have a smooth ride overthe track 12.

[0035] The cart 14 has a platform 32 (FIG. 2) for carrying individualsor objects. The present invention can be configured for carrying cargoor people and, as a result, the platform 32 can have a wide variety ofconfigurations. For example, platform 32 can be in the shape of a traincar or a cargo container. Likewise, the platform 32 and the cart 14 canbe sized for carrying only small objects.

[0036] The sides of the cart 14 have a number of rollers 36 spaced apartlengthwise along the cart. Rollers 36 are positioned to contact thesupporting rails 16 should the cart move out of proper alignment withthe track 12. The rollers 36 rotate about vertical axes, andconsequently do not significantly affect the movement of the cart 14along the track 12. It is envisioned by the inventor that a wide varietyof means can be substituted for the rollers 36 to keep the cart 14centered along the track 12.

[0037] As illustrated in FIG. 3, a battery 38, a motor 40 and a drivingdisc 42 are housed within this particular cart 14. The illustratedbattery 38 is a 12-volt battery similar to one currently used in anautomobile. The inventor appreciates, however, that a wide variety ofpower sources can be substituted for the battery 38, such as a fuelcell.

[0038] The motor 40 is coupled to the driving disc 42 by a belt 44. Theinventor similarly appreciates, however, that the motor 40 and belt 44can take other configurations, so long as the driving disc 42 can becontrollably rotated to accelerate or decelerate the cart 14 withrespect to the track 12. An onboard control system 45 (FIG. 6) isincorporated to allow a user to controllably accelerate and deceleratethe rotation of the driving disc 42 to control the velocity andacceleration of the cart 14.

[0039]FIG. 4 illustrates the relative orientation of the permanentmagnets 30 on the side rails 28 of the cart 14 when engaged with thetrack 12. As discussed above, the polarity of the permanent magnets 30is opposite the polarity of the permanent magnets 26. In addition, inthis particular embodiment, the lateral dimension of the permanentmagnets 30 is greater than the lateral dimension of the permanentmagnets 26. The inventor appreciates that these permanent magnets 26, 30can have the same dimensions, or the permanent magnets 26 could belarger than the permanent magnets 30. One of ordinary skill in the artwill appreciate, however, that when the magnets are of the same width,as seen in the prior art, additional lateral support and/or controls arenecessary to maintain optimal lateral stability between the magnets. Onthe contrary, in the illustrated embodiment, the magnetic footprint ofthe upper magnet 30 is wider than that of the lower magnet 26, naturallyproviding additional lateral stability.

[0040] A ferrous backing material 46 is positioned under the permanentmagnets 26 in the supporting rail 16. As with the side rails 28, theferrous backing material 46 can be steel or an equivalent materials. Thebacking 46 extends along the length of the side rail 16.

[0041] As best illustrated in FIG. 5, a driving pulley 48 on the motor40 operates the belt 44 to rotate a driven pulley 50 attached to thedriving disc 42. The motor 40 is mounted on a cross-member 52, which isin turn mounted to the cart 14. Similarly, the driving disc 42 ismounted to an underside of the cross-member 52. The driving disc 42 isrotatably mounted on a pair bearings 54 to rotate with respect to thecart 14.

[0042] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the third rail 18 has a neck 56 and aflange 58. The flange 58 is mounted to the footing 20 to retain thethird rail 18 in a fixed alignment with respect to the track 12. Theneck 56 is in the form of a flat plate extending the length of the track12. The driving disc 42 in the illustrated embodiment has a pair ofmagnet rotors 60, spaced one on each side of the neck 56 of the thirdrail 18. Each of the magnet rotors 60 has a non-ferrous mounting disc 62backed by a ferrous backing disc 64, preferably of mild steel. Themounting discs 62 may be aluminum or a suitable non-magnetic composite,and each is fabricated with a number of permanent magnets 66 spacedapart from each other and arranged in a circle about a shaft 68 carryingthe driving disc 42. Each of the permanent magnets 66 abuts on theoutside of the driving disc 42 against the respective backing disc 64.Adjacent permanent magnets 66 may have their polarities reversed. Thepermanent magnets 66 are each spaced by an air gap 70 from the neck 56.

[0043] The mounting discs 62 are mounted to the shaft 68 to rotate inunison with the shaft. Rotation of the driving disc 42 with respect tothe neck 56 results in relative movement between the permanent magnets66 and the neck in a direction generally tangential to the driving disc.This tangential direction aligns with the length of the track. As isgenerally known in the industry, relative movement between a permanentmagnet and an electroconductive material results in an eddy currenturging the electroconductive material to follow the permanent magnets.In the present case, however, because the electroconductive material inthe neck 56 is fixed to the footing 20, the electroconductive materialcannot follow the permanent magnets. Instead, an equal and oppositeforce is exerted on the cart which carries the permanent magnets 66.This opposing force accelerates the cart in a direction opposite to themovement of the permanent magnets 66. Accordingly, controlled rotationof the driving disc 42 with respect to the neck 56 can accelerate ordecelerate the cart 14 with respect to the track 12.

[0044] It also understood in the industry that adjustable gap couplingscan be used to increase and decrease the resultant forces between thepermanent magnets 66 and the neck 56. The inventor incorporates hereinby reference U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,317; U.S. Pat. No. 6,072,258; and U.S.Pat. No. 6,242,832 in their entireties to disclose various structuresthat can be used to adjust the spacing between the permanent magnets 66and the neck 56. Further, the inventor appreciates that a single magnetrotor 62 can be used instead of a pair of magnet rotors.

[0045] Embodiments of the present invention have numerous advantagesover conveyance systems of the prior art. For example, the alignedpolarities in the tracks and the ferrous backing material combine tocreate a powerful and consistent magnetic force which allows substantialweight to be carried and allows for smooth movement as the weight istransported along the track. Similarly, ferrous backing materialincorporated into the side rails of the cart provides like benefits.

[0046] In addition, the magnetic driving disc contained on the cartallows for closely controlled, efficient acceleration and deceleration.Because the driving disc does not contact the third rail, there is nowear between the two parts. Further, because the driving disc iscontained on the cart, each cart can be independently controlled toaccelerate and decelerate along the track.

[0047]FIGS. 9 and 9A illustrate a track 112 and a cart 114 according toanother embodiment of the present invention. In general, the cart 114and track 112 illustrated in FIG. 9 operate similar to that describedabove and illustrated in FIGS. 1-8. In particular, however, the guidancesystem and the drive system are both different than those describedabove. Accordingly, to the extent elements, features and advantages arenot discussed below, they can be assumed to be similar to or identicalto those described above.

[0048] In the illustrated embodiment, 9 drive rail 118 incorporates aflange 158 and a neck 156, similar to those described above. Inaddition, a cover plate 157 is positioned over opposing sides of theneck 156 and extends along the length of the drive rail 118. In thisparticular embodiment, the neck 156 and flange 158 are manufactured fromsteel, while the cover plate 157 is manufactured from aluminum. Theinventors appreciate, however, that the cover plate 157 can be made fromany other conductive material, the neck 156 can be made from any othermaterial, preferably a ferrous material such as steel, and the flange158 can be made from any suitable material. In the illustratedembodiment, the aluminum in the cover plate 157 serves as a conductorfor a set of lower magnet rotors 142, and the steel in the neck 156serves as a ferrous backing plate for each of the opposing cover plates.

[0049] As with the above embodiment, the lower magnet rotors 142 arepositioned on opposing sides of the drive rail 118, and are operable toaccelerate and decelerate the cart 114 with respect to the track 112. Inthis particular embodiment, however, two pairs of opposing lower magnetrotors 142 are positioned one pair in front of the other along the driverail 118 (best illustrated in FIG. 10). Each pair of lower magnet rotors142 rotates about a lower shaft 168 to create relative movement betweenthe lower magnet rotor 142 and the drive rail 118 and accelerate ordecelerate the cart 114 with respect to the track 112.

[0050] As seen in FIG. 10, each lower shaft 168 has a sheave 159 fixedthereto to rotate the lower magnet rotor 142 in response to movement ofa horizontal belt 161. The horizontal belts 161 are driven by a centralpulley 163, which is in turn driven by a vertical belt 165. Unlike theprior embodiment, where the belt is driven directly by the motor 40, thevertical belt 165 in the present embodiment is driven by a pair of uppermagnet rotors 167. These upper magnet rotors 167 share an upper shaft169 and an upper pulley 171, which drives the vertical belt 165.

[0051] Rotation of the upper magnet rotors 167 about the upper shaft 169results in rotation of the upper pulley 171, which in turn drives thevertical belt 165, rotating the central pulley 163. Rotation of thecentral pulley 163 drives the opposing horizontal belts 161, each ofwhich drives a sheave 159 on one of the pairs of lower shafts 168.Rotation of the lower shaft 168 results in rotation of both pairs oflower magnet rotors 142. As discussed above, rotation of the magnetrotors 142 with respect to the drive rail 118 results in acceleration ordeceleration of the cart 114 with respect to the track 112.

[0052] The velocity and power of the magnet rotors 167 is adjustedthrough axial movement of an opposing pair of conductor rotors 173positioned to face the upper magnet rotors 167 from opposing sides. Theconductor rotors 173 and opposing upper magnet rotors 167 functionsimilar to adjustable gap couplings known in the art. As such, thetorque transferred from the conductor rotors 173 to the upper magnetrotors 167 is varied by changing the size of a gap 175 therebetween. Inthe embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, the gap 175 in the coupling on theleft end of the upper shaft 169 is greater than the gap on the right endof the upper shaft. The inventors appreciate that the two couplingscooperate to drive the upper shaft 169, and that the opposing couplingscan be adjusted independently or in combination to increase or decreasethe torque transferred from the conductor rotors 173 to the upper magnetrotors 167.

[0053] The gap 175 is adjusted by moving a motor 140 toward or away fromthe upper magnet rotor 167. The motor 140 has a drive shaft 177projecting therefrom that is coupled to the conductor rotor 173. Themotor 140 is mounted to the cart 114 at a sliding bushing 179, whichmoves laterally along an adjustment rod 181. The sliding bushing 179 canbe moved back and forth along the adjustment rod 181 by a dual-actingair cylinder 183. The air cylinder 183 moves the sliding bushing 179along the adjustment rod 181 between a pair of inner stops 185 and apair of opposing outer stops 187. Because the conductor rotors 173 aremounted on the motors 140, axial movement of the motors results in axialmovement of the conductor rotors and, as a result, adjustment of the gap175.

[0054] The motors 140 are operated with an actuator, such as a switch185 illustrated in FIG. 9. The illustrated switch 185 is coupled betweena source of electricity, such as a battery 187, and the motors 140, andcan be actuated to rotate the motors in either direction to accelerateor decelerate the cart 114 with respect to the track 112.

[0055]FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate the lower magnet rotors 142disengaged from the drive rail 118 and engaged with the drive rail,respectively. Each lower magnet rotor 142 is linked to the cart 114 by aswing arm 189 that is pivotally mounted to swing the magnet rotor arounda substantially horizontal axis such that the magnet rotor movesvertically to engage with and disengage from the drive rail 118. A pairof cables 191 are routed from a winch 193 over pulleys 195, and arecontrolled by an actuator 197 to adjust the height of each of the lowermagnet rotors 142.

[0056] The magnet rotors 142 can be raised or lowered to compensate forthe weight of the payload on the cart 114. In particular, with a heavierpayload, the cart 114 may ride lower on the track 112 and, tocompensate, the magnet rotors 142 could be raised, or vice versa.

[0057]FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrated one particular braking assembly 202according to an embodiment of the present invention. The brakingassembly 202 is illustrated in the disengaged configuration in FIG. 12and in the engaged configuration in FIG. 13.

[0058] The brake assembly 202 incorporates a pneumatic piston 204, anactuator 206 and a pair of opposing brake levers 208. The pneumaticpiston 204 is connected by a pair of pneumatic lines 210 to a controlunit 212. The control unit 212 directs pressurized air through thepneumatic lines 210 to or from the pneumatic piston 204 to pressurize aninternal chamber therein (not shown) and to move a piston therein (notshown) axially with respect to the pneumatic piston. The actuator 206 iscoupled to the internal piston to move with the internal piston as it iscontrolled by the control unit 212.

[0059] The brake levers 208 are coupled to the actuator 206 at a pair ofelongated slots 214. When the actuator 206 moves downward, a pin 216 inthe brake lever 208 slides inwardly along the slot 214. As the pin 216moves inwardly along the slot 214, the brake lever 208 pivots around apivot point 218 and the brake pads 220 rotate away from the drive rail118. Likewise, when the actuator 206 moves upward as viewed in FIG. 13,the pins 216 move outward along the slots 214 and the brake levers 208rotate around the pivot points 218 to compress the brakes against thedrive rail 118. Because the brake assembly 202 is rigidly attached tothe cart 114, when the brake pads 220 compress against the drive rail118, the cart can be brought to rest with respect to the track 112.

[0060]FIGS. 14 through 16 illustrate a magnet assembly 300 and a cart314 configured with such a magnet assembly to facilitate maneuvering thecart around tight corners. As best illustrated in FIG. 15, the magnetassembly 300 incorporates a permanent magnet 302 housed within a slidingcarriage 304 to move laterally within a bracket 306. The slidingcarriage 304 incorporates a body 308 that receives the magnet 303 facingdownward and which has a ferrous backing plate 310 positioned above thebody 308. The permanent magnet 302 contacts the ferrous backing plate310 to increase the effect of the forces exerted by the permanentmagnets onto the opposing magnet in the track (not shown). A pair ofarms 312 connect the sliding carriage 304 to a transverse shaft 314. Abushing 316 is configured to allow the sliding carriage 304 to movealong the length of the transverse shaft 314. A pair of rollers 318 arecoupled to the sliding carriage 304 by respective mounting rods 320. Therollers 318 are retained by compression bearings 322 to their respectivemounting rods 320, which are in turn retained to the sliding carriage304 by respective nuts 324. The compression bearings 322 allow therollers 318 to rotate freely about the mounting rods 320. A sleeve 326positioned between the body 308 and the roller 318 maintains a desiredspacing between the body and roller.

[0061] As illustrated in FIG. 16, the magnet assemblies 300 are mountedby the brackets 306 to longitudinal structural members 328 on the cart313. The transverse shafts 314 are oriented substantially perpendicularto the longitudinal structural members 328, such that the magnetsassemblies 300 are free to move laterally with respect to the cart. Thecart 313 illustrated in FIG. 16 is configured for moving around acorner. As such, the magnet assemblies 300 have moved laterally toconform to the curved shape of the track 330. Because each magnetassembly 300 is free to move independent of the other magnet assemblies,the rollers 318 move each magnet assembly as necessary to conform to theparticular track shape. The magnet assemblies 300 can be biased, such asby springs or other means, to move into a configuration for drivingalong a straight length of track. Likewise, the magnet assemblies 300can be configured for moving without any restriction.

[0062]FIG. 17 schematically illustrates the cart 313 of this alternativeembodiment configured for movement along a straight length of track. Themagnets 302 are all aligned with the longitudinal structural members 328to allow the cart 313 to move along the track in a desired alignment.

[0063] The applicant appreciates that many modifications and variationscan be made to the embodiments discussed above without diverging fromthe spirit of the invention. For example, carts can be fabricated withone, two or more driving discs to independently or collectivelyaccelerate and decelerate the cart in the forward and reversedirections. Likewise, more or fewer supporting rails can be incorporatedto modify the levitation forces and weight distribution characteristicsof a particular system. As discussed above, the driving disc and thirdrail can be positioned in other locations, such as above the cart for“suspended” configurations. Other modifications and variations would beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, the scopeof the invention should be interpreted only based on the claims below.

[0064] All of the above U.S. patents, U.S. patent applicationpublications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patentapplications and non-patent publications referred to in thisspecification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet, areincorporated herein by reference, in their entirety.

1. A system for magnetically levitating and moving an object, the systemcomprising: a track having a plurality of first rails spaced laterallyapart from each other along a length of the track, each first railcarrying a plurality of permanent magnets having their poles alignedwith each other such that an upper surface of each of the first railshas a uniform polarity along an operable portion of the length; anobject having a plurality of second rails configured to align with thefirst rails, each second rail carrying a plurality of permanent magnetsoriented to oppose the polarity of the permanent magnets in thecorresponding first rail such that the object levitates above the track;a third rail made from an electroconductive material, the third railextending the length of the track; and a disc coupled to the object torotate about a rotary axis with respect to the object, the disc having aplurality of permanent magnets spaced about the rotary axis, the discbeing positioned with a portion thereof in close proximity to the thirdrail and being controllably rotatable in the presence of the third railto create an eddy current between the permanent magnets in the disc andthe electroconductive material of the third rail to accelerate anddecelerate the object with respect to the track.
 2. The system of claim1 wherein the plurality of first rails comprises two first rails.
 3. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of permanent magnets inthe first rail is in contact with the adjacent permanent magnets in therespective first rail.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein a lateraldimension of the permanent magnets in the first rails is different froma corresponding lateral dimension of the permanent magnets in the secondrails.
 5. The system of claim 1 wherein a lateral dimension of thepermanent magnets in the first rails is smaller than a correspondinglateral dimension of the permanent magnets in the second rails.
 6. Thesystem of claim 1, further comprising a ferrous keeper member in contactwith the plurality of permanent magnets in at least one of the firstrails.
 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first ferrouskeeper member in contact with the plurality of permanent magnets in atleast one of the first rails and a second ferrous keeper member incontact with the plurality of permanent magnets in at least one of thesecond rails.
 8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a ferrouskeeper member in contact with the plurality of permanent magnets in eachof the first rails, the keeper member being positioned on a surface ofthe permanent magnets furthest from the upper surface of the rail. 9.The system of claim 1, further comprising a ferrous keeper and anelectroconductive cover on each of the first rails, the keeper being incontact with the plurality of permanent magnets in the first rail andbeing positioned of a surface of the permanent magnets furthest from theupper surface of the rail, the cover being positioned over the uppersurface of the first rail.
 10. The system of claim 1, further comprisingguide members coupled to the track and the object to maintain the objectaligned with the track.
 11. The system of claim 1, further comprisingguide members coupled to the track and complementary rollers coupled tothe object to maintain the object aligned with the track.
 12. The systemof claim 1, further comprising rollers coupled to the object, therollers being spaced apart by a gap from the rails maintain the objectaligned with the track.
 13. The system of claim 1 wherein the third railis in the form of an elongated plate and the rotary axis is at leastsubstantially perpendicular to the plate.
 14. A system for magneticallylevitating an object, the system comprising: a track having a pluralityof first rails spaced laterally apart from each other along a length ofthe track; a first plurality of permanent magnets coupled to the firstrails, the first plurality of permanent magnets having their polesaligned such that an upper surface of each of the first rails has auniform polarity along an operable portion of the length, each of thefirst plurality of permanent magnets in the first rail being in contactwith the adjacent permanent magnets; a ferrous first keeper in eachfirst rail contacting the first plurality of permanent magnets; anobject having a plurality of second rails at least substantially alignedwith a portion of the length of the plurality of first rails; a secondplurality of permanent magnets aligned to oppose the polarity of thepermanent magnets in the first rails such that the object levitatesabove the track; and a ferrous second keeper in each second railcontacting the second plurality of permanent magnets.
 15. The system ofclaim 14, further comprising a third rail and a drive disc, the thirdrail made from an electroconductive material and extending the length ofthe track, the drive disc being coupled to the object to rotate about arotary axis with respect to the object, the drive disc having aplurality of permanent magnets spaced about the rotary axis, the drivedisc being positioned with a portion thereof in close proximity to thethird rail and being controllably rotatable in the presence of the thirdrail to create an eddy current between the permanent magnets in thedrive disc and the electroconductive material of the third rail toaccelerate and decelerate the object with respect to the track.
 16. Thesystem of claim 14 wherein a lateral dimension of the first plurality ofpermanent magnets is different from a corresponding lateral dimension ofthe second plurality of permanent magnets.
 17. The system of claim 14wherein a lateral dimension of the first plurality of permanent magnetsis smaller than a corresponding lateral dimension of the secondplurality of permanent magnets.
 18. The system of claim 14 wherein thefirst keeper member is positioned on a surface of the first plurality ofpermanent magnets furthest from the upper surface of the rail.
 19. Thesystem of claim 14, further comprising an electroconductive cover andwherein the first keeper is positioned on a surface on the firstplurality of permanent magnets furthest from the upper surface of therail, and wherein the cover is positioned over the upper surface of thefirst rail.
 20. The system of claim 14, further comprising guide memberscoupled to the track and the object to maintain the object aligned withthe track.
 21. The system of claim 14, further comprising guide memberscoupled to the track and complementary rollers coupled to the object tomaintain the object aligned with the track.
 22. The system of claim 14,further comprising rollers coupled to the object, the rollers beingspaced apart by a gap from the rails maintain the object aligned withthe track.
 23. The system of claim 14 wherein the third rail is in theform of an elongated plate and the rotary axis is at least substantiallyperpendicular to the plate.
 24. A system for magnetically levitating anobject having a plurality of first rails spaced laterally apart fromeach other, each first rail having a first plurality of permanentmagnets distributed along its length, the system comprising: a trackhaving a plurality of second rails positioned to be aligned with theplurality of first rails on the object when the object is levitatingabove the track; a second plurality of permanent magnets coupled to thesecond rails, the second plurality of permanent magnets having theirpoles aligned such that an upper surface of each of the second rails hasa uniform polarity along an operable portion of the length, each of thesecond plurality of permanent magnets in the first rail being in contactwith the adjacent permanent magnets; and a ferrous keeper contacting thefirst plurality of permanent magnets, the ferrous keeper beingpositioned on a side of the second plurality of permanent magnetsfurthest from the upper surface.
 25. The system of claim 24 wherein alateral dimension of the first plurality of permanent magnets isdifferent from a corresponding lateral dimension of the second pluralityof permanent magnets.
 26. The system of claim 24 wherein a lateraldimension of the first plurality of permanent magnets is smaller than acorresponding lateral dimension of the second plurality of permanentmagnets.
 27. The system of claim 24, further comprising anelectroconductive cover positioned over the upper surfaces of the secondrails.
 28. The system of claim 24, wherein a longitudinal dimension ofthe second plurality of permanent magnets is different from acorresponding longitudinal dimension of the first plurality of permanentmagnets.
 29. The system of claim 24, wherein a longitudinal dimension ofthe second plurality of permanent magnets is shorter than acorresponding longitudinal dimension of the first plurality of permanentmagnets.
 30. A cart for levitating above and moving along a length of atrack, the track having a pair of first rails each having a firstplurality of permanent magnets of aligned polarity thereon, and a secondrail made of electroconductive material extending along the length ofthe track, the cart comprising: a pair of third rails at leastsubstantially alignable with the pair of first rails; a second pluralityof permanent magnets coupled to the pair of third rails and aligned tooppose the polarity of the permanent magnets in the first rails suchthat the object levitates above the track; a ferrous keeper contactingthe second plurality of permanent magnets; and a disc coupled to thecart to rotate about a rotary axis with respect to the cart, the dischaving a plurality of permanent magnets spaced about the rotary axis,the disc being positioned with a portion thereof in close proximity tothe second rail and being controllably rotatable in the presence of thesecond rail to create an eddy current between the permanent magnets inthe disc and the electroconductive material of the second rail toaccelerate and decelerate the object with respect to the track.
 31. Thecart of claim 30, further comprising guide members coupled to the objectto maintain the object aligned with the track.
 32. The cart of claim 30,further comprising rollers coupled to the cart, the rollers beingpositioned to be spaced apart by a gap from the first rails to maintainthe cart aligned with the track.
 33. The cart of claim 30 wherein thesecond rail is in the form of an elongated plate and the wherein rotaryaxis is aligned to be at least substantially perpendicular to the plate.34. The cart of claim 30 wherein the second plurality of permanentmagnets are movably coupled to the pair of third rails.
 35. The cart ofclaim 30 wherein the second plurality of permanent magnets are coupledto the pair of third rails in a manner that allows each of the secondplurality of permanent magnets to move laterally with respect to therespective third rail.
 36. The cart of claim 30 wherein the secondplurality of permanent magnets are slidably coupled to the pair of thirdrails to move laterally with respect to the respective third rail. 37.The cart of claim 30 wherein the second plurality of permanent magnetsare slidably coupled to the pair of third rails to move laterally withrespect to the respective third rail, and further comprising at leastone guide member coupled to each of the second plurality of permanentmagnets, the at least one guide member being positioned to contact oneof the first rails during operation such that lateral movement of thecart with respect to the track results in lateral movement of at leastone of the second plurality of magnets.
 38. A method for levitating anobject above a track, the method comprising: fixing to the track a firstplurality of permanent magnets with their polarities upwardly aligned;contacting each of the first plurality of permanent magnets with aferrous material; providing an object having a second plurality ofpermanent magnets positioned to align with the track, the secondplurality of permanent magnets having their polarities aligned to opposethe first plurality of permanent magnets; and contacting each of thesecond plurality of permanent magnets with a ferrous material.
 39. Amethod for levitating an object above a track and moving the objectalong the track, the method comprising: fixing to the track a firstplurality of permanent magnets with their polarities upwardly aligned;contacting each of the first plurality of permanent magnets with aferrous material; providing an object having a second plurality ofpermanent magnets positioned to align with the track, the secondplurality of permanent magnets having their polarities aligned to opposethe first plurality of permanent magnets; contacting each of the secondplurality of permanent magnets with a ferrous material; positioning arail of electroconductive material along the length of the track; androtating a disc carrying permanent magnets in the proximity of the railof electroconductive material such that an eddy force between the railand the permanent magnets in the disc cause the object to move withrespect to the track.
 40. A system for magnetically levitating andmoving an object, the system comprising: a track having at least onefirst rail extending along a length of the track, the first railcarrying a plurality of first permanent magnets having their polesaligned with each other such that an upper surface of each of the firstrails has a uniform polarity along an operable portion of the length,each first permanent magnet having a first length measured in thedirection of the track; an object having at least one second railconfigured to align with the at least one first rail, the second railcarrying a plurality of second permanent magnets oriented to oppose thepolarity of the permanent magnets in the corresponding first rail suchthat the object levitates above the track, each second permanent magnethaving a second length measured in the direction of the track, thesecond length being different from the first length; a third rail madefrom an electroconductive material, the third rail extending the lengthof the track; and at least one disc coupled to the object to rotateabout a rotary axis with respect to the object, the at least one dischaving a plurality of permanent magnets spaced about the rotary axis,the at least one disc being positioned with a portion thereof in closeproximity to the third rail and being controllably rotatable in thepresence of the third rail to create an eddy current between thepermanent magnets in the disc and the electroconductive material of thethird rail to accelerate and decelerate the object with respect to thetrack.
 41. The system of claim 40 wherein the plurality of first railscomprises two first rails.
 42. The system of claim 40 wherein each ofthe plurality of first permanent magnets in the first rail is in contactwith the adjacent first permanent magnets in the respective first rail.43. The system of claim 40 wherein a lateral dimension of the firstpermanent magnets is different from a corresponding lateral dimension ofthe second permanent magnets.
 44. The system of claim 40 wherein alateral dimension of the first permanent magnets is smaller than acorresponding lateral dimension of the second permanent magnets.
 45. Thesystem of claim 40, further comprising a ferrous keeper member incontact with the plurality of first permanent magnets in the at leastone first rail.
 46. The system of claim 40, further comprising a firstferrous keeper member in contact with the plurality of first permanentmagnets and a second ferrous keeper member in contact with the secondplurality of permanent magnets.
 47. The system of claim 40, furthercomprising a ferrous keeper member in contact with the plurality offirst permanent magnets, the keeper member being positioned on a surfaceof the first permanent magnets furthest from the upper surface of therail.
 48. The system of claim 40, further comprising a ferrous keeperand an electroconductive cover the at least one first rail, the keeperbeing in contact with the first permanent magnets and being positionedof a surface of the first permanent magnets furthest from the uppersurface of the rail, the cover being positioned over the upper surfaceof the first rail.
 49. The system of claim 40, further comprising guidemembers coupled to the track and the object to maintain the objectaligned with the track.
 50. The system of claim 40, further comprisingguide members coupled to the track and complementary rollers coupled tothe object to maintain the object aligned with the track.
 51. The systemof claim 40, further comprising rollers coupled to the object, therollers being spaced apart by a gap from the rails maintain the objectaligned with the track.
 52. The system of claim 40 wherein the thirdrail is in the form of an elongated plate and the rotary axis is atleast substantially perpendicular to the plate.
 53. The system of claim40 wherein the at least one disc comprises a pair of discs positioned torotate in proximity to the third rail.
 54. The system of claim 40wherein the at least one disc is movably coupled to the object tocontrollably move between an engaged position in which the permanentmagnets in the disc are proximate the third rail, and a disengagedposition in which the permanent magnets in the disc are spaced apartfrom the third rail by a distance sufficient to at least substantiallyeliminate the eddy current therebetween.
 55. The system of claim 40wherein the at least one disc comprises a pair of discs positioned torotate in proximity to the third rail, the pair of discs being movablycoupled to the object to controllably move between an engaged positionin which the permanent magnets in the disc are proximate the third rail,and a disengaged position in which the permanent magnets in the disc arespaced apart from the third rail by a distance sufficient to at leastsubstantially eliminate the eddy current therebetween.